No Backing Out Now
by city with no people
Summary: Sasusaku. Major fluff. Sasukecentric. He reflects on his most outstanding memories. How different is he now? Why'd they have to do that? Why'd he do that? And, most important, how did he end up in this sticky situation! [I repeat: MAJOR FLUFF!]


A/N: I'm not sure if I like this title...but, it's the best I can come up with for now.

Fluff Warning. Major Fluff Warning.

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**No Backing Out Now**

He reached out a pale hand into the darkness.

_Battle. He could sense it. The sight, the smell, the air, everything warned him of the sight he knew was waiting for him. He came to the clearing, knowing what he would see. The vision before him would have made the bravest man lose his mind. But he…he was used to it. Accustomed to the gore. _

_He didn't know what disgusted him more—the blood spillings or his immunity to them._

It was so dark. He could hardly see anything.

_Pitch black. That was all he remembered now. All he allowed himself to see. He pushed and prodded and forced and threatened his mind, but it wouldn't budge. It didn't let him recall those nights. The nights he spent alone. The nights when he knew that things would never be the same again._

He blinked once, shifting onto his weight onto his left side to gain a more comfortable position.

_Guilt poked at his spine. How could he have done that? He had murdered in cold blood, leaving his best friend to die. In the name of power. Power he needed for his revenge. Did that justify his actions?_

He groaned. There was no way out of this situation; he knew it.

"_DON'T YOU CARE IF OROCHIMARU TAKES YOUR BODY??!! HE'S USING YOU!"_

_No, he didn't care. He really did not whatsoever. He felt that trading his life for Itachi's was more than fair. He had never belonged, anyways. He was an avenger; his lot in life involved revenge and sacrifice and power. That was all he cared about. All he could afford to care about._

He coughed. This really was not going to be good.

_He supposed he shouldn't have been shocked to see his friends again. He expected it, actually. A part of him had truly missed their faces; a part of him had waited for the day they'd try to save him._

_But how does one save a person who doesn't know they are in error?_

They opened the door. A brilliant light filled the small room. Honestly, why they had to put someone in a dark room like that was beyond his capacity to understand.

_His memory was fairly blurred on that fight with Naruto. He was inwardly grateful that he didn't remember the pain his body must have tolerated when fighting the jinchuuriki. Why did Naruto go through so much trouble for someone as rotten and stained as he was?_

His eyes adjusted to the light; he looked out beyond the crowd, his onyx eyes instantly picking out Naruto, looking solemn in his Hokage robes.

_A friend. That was the term. Yes, now he recalled that word. Somehow, through Orochimaru's abuse, the years he had spent focused on revenge and power, he had forgotten what it meant to have one to call a friend. They brought the word back into his vocabulary._

He coughed again. This stupid outfit was going to make nice kindling tonight. The raven-haired man walked to the end of the platform, masking his face as he turned to watch the entrance with Naruto.

_He spent many weeks recovering in the hospital—both mentally and physically. The prodigy more than likely wouldn't have made it were it not for the desperate efforts of a certain kunoichi. Why she tried so hard to help him, he couldn't say. All he knew was that he was inwardly grateful for her efforts._

The great doors swung silently open. Hinges protested as the crowd rose to their feet. Absolute silence encompassed the hall. Few dared breathe, so afraid that they would break the silence.

_Never gives up, does she?_

_He'd just gotten back from a mission; just returned, and already under the pressure of her intense emerald gaze. He thought life had been difficult with Orochimaru, but no…how wrong he'd been. Now he had to stomach her stares. Which was the lesser of two evils, he wondered._

She stepped through the gates, he scowled as the crowd gasped. That was not the right attitude to have toward a future Uchiha. She looked radiant as she walked towards her two teammates. Tears clung to her eyelashes as she stepped up onto the stage.

_Smiling…that was not a thing befitting an avenger. No, no, Sasuke did not smile. He smirked. Perhaps that was the most enchanting thing about her: the way she gave her happiness freely. He had to admire her for it. It was much easier to lock your heart and emotions in a vault and throw away the key than it was to share bits of your soul with everyone you encountered. He thought he'd guarded himself perfectly. How wrong he was._

"We are gathered here to unite one Uchiha Sasuke to one Haruno Sakura…" the Hokage's voice began.

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A/N: ...wow...I don't know where this story came from...some part of my mind that enjoys fluff, I guess. 

yeah...well, I knew I'd eventually have to write a Sasusaku wedding. So there, I hope you liked it!

hn...I hope no one was out of character. I know Naruto probably would have been screaming or something, but, bear in mind, he is the Hokage in the ficlet, so he has to keep his honor, ne?

Review, if you like. No flaming, please.


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